Year 8 Camp

Last week our Year 8 Melton Campus students travelled to Anglesea for a surfing and English camp where they were fully immersed in the setting of the novel The Road to Winter by Mark Smith, which they are currently studying.

Below are some student accounts of their experiences:

“Last week we went to Camp Wilkin in Anglesea. The first thing we did when we got there was to go surfing on the main beach. We learned how to stand up on the board and then were ready to try it for ourselves. On my first few tries, I couldn’t really catch the waves, but after that, I got the hang of it. I didn’t really stand up but I was good at getting on my knees and keeping my balance that way. On the second day, Mark Smith, the author of the novel The Road to Winter, came to speak about the book and his experience writing it. It was very interesting learning how long it takes to write a book and get it published. The Road to Winter is the first book in a trilogy. After the presentation, we went on a long walk around Anglesea and looked at the places mentioned in the book and the path that the two main characters, Finn and Rose, took when running from the villains Ramage and the Wilders. The whole walk took about three-and-a-half hours from start to finish and was a fun way to study a book.” Ned – Glowrey 2

“My experience surfing was one I will never forget. Riding waves while upright really made my day. Of course, I failed now and again, tumbling into the crashing waves, spinning underwater (with) the current. Freezing, but fun! The next day we met Mark Smith, author of The Road to Winter. He told stories about his life that matched with some parts of the book, and we all asked questions about his career as an author. Both answers and autographs were given.” Raphael – Lawrence 6

“Mark Smith spoke about how he grew up and originally never wanted to become a writer. A few people from each group asked questions and if you asked a good one, you were in the running to win the two sequels to The Road to Winter, which is part of a trilogy. I won the two books because I asked the best question!” Annika – Mackillop 5

“On camp, we got to experience a surf lesson run by Go Ride a Wave. The surfing connects to the book because the main character Finn has a passion for surfing and does it to take his mind off the catastrophic events happening in the world. I enjoyed the surfing because I expected not to be that good at it, but I caught quite a few waves.” Anna – Lawrence 6

Kezi Todd

English Domain Leader